It would be an understatement to say that Miles Dewey Davis III was one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Widely considered one of the most revolutionary and influential figures in the history of music of the twentieth century, Miles Davis has played an integral role in shaping the sounds of jazz, one of the few uniquely and entirely American genres. Needless to say, the brilliant artistry that coolly flowed from his trumpet speaks for itself and clearly shows what a phenomenally inventive and talented musician he was. One could go on and on discussing, analyzing, and meticulously scrutinizing his music, as has been done readily in the past, but the purpose of this paper is to examine his rare appearances on television and the impact his music had on American culture. Before diving into his TV appearances, a summary of the man himself and his extraordinary contributions and accomplishments seems to be in order. Trumpet player, band leader, musical innovator, composer and in the words of fellow musician Chico Hamilton, “jazz’s only superstar” (Kart 201), Miles Davis boasts a career that spans five decades, from the mid 1940s to 1991, which is almost unheard of in the music industry where careers tend to be much shorter. His long career includes awards such as eight Grammy awards, a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and three Hall of Fame awards. Davis is an icon in the jazz world, not only for his long career but also for revolutionizing the jazz genre. Without Davis’s influence, jazz would not possess the rich and complex sound it has today. Miles Davis emerged on the scene of New York in 1944 at the same time a revolution in jazz was underway (Merod 72). “Bop,” the shorter version of “bebop,” was a “rebellion”... ... middle of paper ... ...ica. Ultimately, the debate of who Miles Davis was and how he affected jazz music may rage on for years to come, but no one will ever debate that without Miles Davis, jazz would not be what it is today. Works Cited Kart, Larry. Jazz in Search of Itself. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004. Kingman, Daniel. American Music: A Panorama. 2nd edition. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Merod, Jim. “The Question of Miles Davis”. Boundary 2 28.2, 2001. Miles Ahead Website. “Session Details: CBS-TV Studio 61 (April 2, 1959)”. Web. “Miles Davis.” IMDb.com. Web. < http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002537/> Porter, Eric. “’It’s About That Time’: The Response to Miles Davis’s Electric Turn’” in Miles Davis and American Culture. Gerald Early (Saint Louis: Missouri Historical Society Press, 2001).
William Howland Kenney provides an in depth look at the Chicago jazz as a cultural movement that shaped the 1920’s. His new interpretation of the Chicago Jazz life reveals the role of race, cultural, and politics in the growth of this new musical style. This in depth look focuses on the rise of jazz from 1904 until its end in 1930. This book covers a lot of areas in Jazz that were fundamental in its development. My overall impression is that this book is well written, it is expansive in its overview of jazz. Kenney is knowledgeable in this area of cultural history, and his book is well researched. The purpose of this book is to
3. Davis, Nathan T. Writings in Jazz. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Dubuque, IA. 1996. p. 152-153, 163, 166.
My research paper is about Miles Davis’ personal life and his contributions to jazz. Miles Davis played a major role in the expansion in jazz with his music that he had produced. Davis helped produce and expand the different genres of jazz as well as train young talented musicians into successful artists in the field of jazz today. Davis not only shaped jazz into different forms and styles, but he also introduced jazz music to music listeners who were not a fan of jazz. From an early childhood, Davis was already interested in music and ready to help change the world of jazz.
In The Jazz Tradition, Martin Williams seems to use the opposite approach. His level of argument is that the elements of jazz did not necessarily originate from ...
Recognized as one of the greatest all time jazz figures Duke Ellington, whose career reached over a span of fifty years was mostly known for composing thousands of influential songs. As well as constituting into jazz an ensemble of western sounds which was referred to as “American Music”. This iconic figure has left a mark in the world of jazz for centuries to come.
Music is often a way to trace the changes in culture and society overall. America experienced a period of turmoil and change during the 1960s. Powerful people were emerging from the African American communities to raise their voice for equal rights by giving voice to the people. Miles Davis demonstrated the will of the people through his music. The transitions in musical style of jazz artist Miles Davis in combination with his own personal experiences are a reflection of movements within the civil rights period. By defying expectations of the jazz genre, Davis fought against oppression by creating music for the community. However, it was only after he became aware of his influence that Miles Davis truly became an iconic symbol of power and
Jazz music’s roots go deeper than most people could ever begin to imagine. Whether it is the influencing of other styles of music, the broadening of other media forms, or even the molding and shaping of the atmosphere of entire cities, jazz usually has a part in it. And with an impressive career spanning over 50 years, countless hits that are being replicated in numerous forms even today, and the pivotal part that he played in the Harlem Renaissance , it is almost impossible to talk about anything jazz related without mentioning Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.
In addition to his playing and nurturing of excellent talent, Miles Davis was quite remarkable in his rare ability to continually evolve. Most jazz musicians generally performed their style early on and spend the rest of their careers refining their sound. In contrast Miles Davis every five years or so would forge ahead, and do to his restless nature he not only played bop but helped found cool jazz, hard bop, modal music, his own unusual brand of the avant-garde and fusion. Jazz history would be much different if Davis had not existed. If Miles Davis had retired in 1960, he would still be famous in jazz history, but he had many accomplishments still to come. In 1991 Miles Davis passed away, he was 65. Jazz lost a man that was more than a god.
In the late 1940s, Davis met Gil Evans. Evans to many is seen as one of the most important jazz arrangers of all times. Alongside Miles Davis, he played a significant role in the development o f cool jazz, modal jazz, free jazz, and jazz fusion. Gil Evans was known for his ability to bring attention to impulsive improvisation within the structure of his arrangements. Evan’s took advantage of the rich textures between the various instruments and the use of harmonies.
Some people consider jazz to be a “black music”, so white musicians should not be included in the history of it. Others think it’s unfair to call jazz a “black music” or that white musicians need to be given more credit in jazz history. DeVeaux argues that jazz music has origins in traditional African musical culture and is based on the experience of African Americans, so it should be considered black music. But at the same time, he also argues that white musicians did play an important role in jazz, both from a consumption and production standpoint. This fact should not be ignored because to do so would be to rewrite history. This should never be done even if doing so might be considered good for social movements. DeVeaux sensitively found a middle ground, so his argument could mean unity for critics who before could only see jazz as either black or white. This article also encourages unity within music and could increase equality in jazz for musicians. Through this groundbreaking article that destroys racial barriers, DeVeaux has successfully answered the question he posed for himself at the beginning of his
Miles Davis’ music was incredibly diverse and influenced all types of music that followed. He was beloved by traditional fans, but was also adored by young jazz musicians willing to push the boundaries of traditional jazz. His traditional fans did not welcome his change of style, but it shows Davis's ability to experiment and push the boundaries. Miles excelled at every style that he tried from bebop, to hard bop, to modal jazz, to his jazz fusion
Davis was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from the New England Conservatory in 1986, an award which recognized his lifetime of success (“Miles Davis” PBS). Miles Davis’s approach to jazz wasn’t very popular when he died, but he did a lot in the jazz genre to make it more popular. He was also very good with solos and was able to appeal to audiences using this solo technique. He serves as a remembrance of being inventive and a reminder that jazz can move forward through these inventions (Ruhlmann).
The jazz community and the music we know today would not be the same without the contributions of Louis Armstrong, who is widely considered to be a founding father of Jazz. The works of Louis Armstrong who was a trumpet and cornet player, composer, actor, and singer have profoundly shaped and impacted all American music. His ingenuity and his musically inventive mind have given us a style that dominates the Jazz community. Armstrong’s innovations and progressions single handedly changed the face of Jazz, his innovations are still effecting music today. Many musicians today work in the shadow of Louis towering figure and bask in his legacy he left behind. His style of trumpet playing revolutionized the world of Jazz, and he became one of
The 1920s is an era in American history largely synonymous with the jazz age. It’s depiction in the 21st century is that of a celebration of black culture and its rise into popularity in a world where the greats were accepted for their talent instead of discriminated against based on the color of their skin. This, however, is unrealistic and does not fairly acknowledge the trials, tribulations, and resistance faced by black jazz musicians of the time. While the 1920s was a lively era in our nation that sparked great change politically, socially, and economically, it also notably brought new ideas of music to pop culture through a rise of jazz across all demographics. This rise brought black culture to the forefront of our nation and helped
Jazz is a form of art music developed by Black Americans in the early twentieth century and was emerged from many cultures that branched out into many different styles. The development of jazz was influenced by some great musicians. One of the prominent one was Lester Young, an American jazz tenor-saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. His style has influenced many other well known musicians in the jazz history, leading him to play a significant role in the development of jazz. He undoubtedly was a masterful innovator from the mid 1930’s to the mid 1940s, not only because he changed the way saxophone was played, but also because he changed the art of jazz itself.